April 19, 2024
In honor of Earth Month and the 35th anniversary of the Goldman Environmental Prize, the Goldman Prize is excited to announce the launch of GROW, a public art installation in San Francisco.
Designed by Bay Area artists Brian Singer and Laura Hapka, and developed in collaboration with Friends of the Urban Forest, Local Language, and Demonstrate x DDW, GROW will be open to the public from April 19 through May 8. GROW is located at PROXY, a local hub for creatives and community members in the Hayes Valley neighborhood (at the corner of Octavia and Hayes streets).
About GROW
In nature, growth unfolds as a biological process that human intervention can profoundly influence. In the installation, growth portrays the intricate relationship between our expansively built environment and nature. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration between nature and humans to repair past damage. Ultimately, GROW beckons viewers to engage by visualizing this relationship and inviting thoughtful contemplation on the consequences of unbridled urban expansion, extraction, pollution, and the ever-evolving interplay between humanity and the natural world.
The formation of our built infrastructure plays a substantial role in the visual narrative of the installation, with scaffolding structures that mirror a grid of buildings. The structures encase and interact with trees. Moss letters forming the word “grow” are applied to the scaffolding to symbolize greenery reclaiming the manufactured environment. The word “grow” also calls for individuals to support and protect nature. Nature finds a way, and so must we.
Sustainable Community-Driven Design
The installation itself pays homage to collaboration and sustainability. The trees used in the installation are provided and maintained by the San Francisco nonprofit Friends of the Urban Forest. The low-maintenance Tristania trees are well-suited to the Bay Area climate and an urban environment. Once the installation is dismantled, the trees will be planted throughout San Francisco in partnership with Friends of the Urban Forest.
Grow Community this Earth Month
Share your pictures of GROW! Tag the Goldman Environmental Prize on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X (Twitter). We look forward to seeing your photos.
